Dances With Wolves
by WolfCloud CrimsonRain
Summary: Ever wondered what San's life was like before Ashitaka came? Here's your chance to find out about the early life of the wolf princess and Moro's past.
1. The Human

Alright, the title isn't all that original, but it's fitting. Here is my interpretation of San's life before Ashitaka walked in. This first chapter is short, but I like 'em short. If I get the feeling I'm trying to create I'm happy. Now I'm sure a screwed up with this because I haven't seen the movie in a year, but you can all shoot me in a review post x.x  
  
Copy Write: I do not own any of these characters. They are all property of the wonderful Miyazaki-san who deserves to be worshipped like the forest god himself. His animation style and his original ideas are captivating and if there is any work of his you have not seen I command you to go out and watch it now. .With the exception of Lupin III, that is. You have my permission to never have to sit through that horrible piece of work. He was young and a fool. We can forgive him. Right?  
  
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The day had started just as every other had. The sun rose to captivate all viewers in a brilliant display of color, one which the Goddess was witness to everyday. She lay upon her stomach, paws stretched out in front of her, listening to the lone howl of the nights wind as it disappeared with the rising of the sun. Today would be yet another day of fighting those wretched mortals called humans. For years the forest had been at war with the bloody things. It was sad to think of them having any power over a God at all, for as meaningless to the world they would be if they sat in sheer peace and quiet, they decided to use their existence to destroy the forests, thereby destroying all within it. The great wolf could not remember a time when Gods hadn't been fighting humans for the sake of the forest, but she knew that there had been a safe coexistence once, though very long ago.  
  
As the blazing sun had cleared itself of the mountains and trees, now a genuine part of the sky, she shook away thoughts of those which she despised more than anything. It had been humans that had always made themselves to act more like pigs than the boars themselves, who sometimes equally disgusted her. Of course she had a bit of respect for them when it came down to it. There were a few who had lived quite a few more years than her, such as Okkoto, though she had little care as to what happened to him. He had grown blind, she knew, and with the loss of his sight came the loss of his brain. He wanted to strike now, but she was well aware they weren't ready. Nago was probably the only sane boar God left among them.  
  
Nago. He was a powerful God indeed, but was he strong enough to fight against the evil of the iron that the humans were forging at that moment whilst she thought? No doubt he wasn't. Still, he was never as blood thirsty as the other boar Gods, and quite frankly, not as stupid. He was truly the only one of them she had any respect for, and even at that she did not have concern for whether he died anytime soon or not. The wolves had entirely different views than the boars, but only Nago seemed able to see past that difference and include them within plans of raging against the human. Every other God probably thought they were strong enough without the help of others. None of them probably even thought to think for a moment of the countless amount of blood that had been spilled by human weapons.  
  
She stood up, backing away from the ledge which she sat upon. She no longer wished to dwell upon the subject of such warfare. She didn't wish to think about any of the damage the stinking humans had brought to the wolves. Most of the pack was killed, the less valiant ones fled to other forests. The war that had been raging on for so long only brought torment towards her. It had killed off many which she had gotten close to, including the father of her two pups. Only they remained, of all the great wolves that had once roamed the forest.  
  
The wolf needed to clear her mind. She had too long been sitting there doing nothing other than reflecting. It was bad of her, for one day, she might get into trouble for it again. Deep thought only lead to distraction, and if you were distracted in what you were doing you might suffer to no avail. She had had to learn this the hard way.  
  
The white Goddess quickly shook away all thoughts from her head and let the forest environment take over. She bound down the cliff side with ease that was unmatched, knowing of every crack and foothold within these walls by now. Even though her size was gigantic, she amazingly caused no disturbance as she made her way down. Not even the tiniest pebble fell earthbound. Thinking that there had ever been a time when she had been a clumsy pup seemed unreasonable and a horrible accusation to make.  
  
As she made her way down, one of her two sons peaked his head out of the den, looking down to where his mother was leaping from, his eyes following her movements. Baffled by her decision to get out so early, he sent out two sharp barks to signal that he was awake and curious. The mother was not surprised by the sudden noise upon the silent dawn. She stopped for a moment in her tracks and looked up towards the den so high above. "Get some more rest, my son. I am only going out for a walk through the forest. I can take care of myself if anything happens." He was convinced, and went back further into the cave that was their home.  
  
The moment she landed she could smell something, something that made her fur prick and her blood rush with eagerness to attack. Funny that she hadn't smelled it until now. It was still weak though. She couldn't be THAT old, could she? Still, a scent continued to cloud her nostrils, the heavy air remaining there until a shift in the wind had been made, though it was not nearly strong enough to brush away what she smelled. She no longer wished to remain standing there, her blood surging with readiness for battle. The scent coursed through her, and would begin to drive her insane if she did nothing about it. There was no doubt about it. Humans were nearby.  
  
She put huge pressure on her hind legs and poised to spring. Her white and glistening teeth shone as she bared them, fully ready to tear their very heads off of their bodies. Her deep introspection had probably made her freak out more so than needed, but she still felt that violence and blood shed were the only answers to her problem. The infestation of humans on her land would not be treated with kindness. After what seemed like ages, she sprung forward.  
  
The white wolf rushed forward at an amazing speed, the wind meeting her coat at a matching pace. Her ruffled fur seemed to lift higher with her, for every bound she made seemed to lift her further up towards the canopy of trees. She had no interest in trees though, for only one smell and one alone haunted her. That wretched human scent that only grew with every leap she took. Strangely enough, as many times as she leapt forward, other than a low and steady growl from her throat, she made no sound whatsoever. At one point she even leapt on top of a fallen tree and it did not splinter. She had been moving so fast that the earth showed no sign of her having been there at all. This was truly the work of a God.  
  
Then, everything stopped. All of the dashing, running, hurtling and anger had just stopped. The very air seemed to hang still as the power Goddess stood staring at the kill she had been so intent upon finding and then destroying. The humans she was hunting, a man and a woman, stood in shock, the female clutching onto an infant. Not even that seemed to move in her hands. The only thing that was not frozen to the wolf's senses was the river before her.  
  
The stillness was finally unbroken, though not at all happily. Her left paw slid into the crystal clear waters which had hid the scent of them to her when she had been locked deeply in her thoughts. What had they been doing here so early? She trotted towards the couple majestically, looking like a horse pulling a carriage fit only for an Emperor. She was no horse, however.  
  
The woman looked up at her, her eyes only being able to look at her fangs. Oh, how those fangs made her want to scream out, to run away, to get to safety. She would do anything to make sure she got to safety, anything to suppress the feeling of a rabbit being chased away by a dog. "Oh Goddess" the man began, the smell of fear clear on him, "Why do you seek to harm us? Why do you come to us at all? What sins have we committed that we should be killed for?"  
  
The wolf Goddess looked upon them with eyes of hatred, her lust to kill now renewed by their stupidity. "Have not sinned? Why of course you haven't. You only bathed in the rivers of this sacred forest where humans are forbidden. Would you like to convince me of a reason why I should not bite all three of your heads off right now and then feast off the corpses'?"  
  
Panic flashed before their faces, and without another word being said, they ran. However, they left a gift. In her moment of terror, the woman had dropped the baby she had been carrying, letting the poor thing fall into the waters the wolf had just scared them away from. Her eyes looked down her long muzzle at the defenseless little bundle, slightly curious. In all of her years, she had never seen the offspring of humans in their most vulnerable stages. It was slightly cute, she had to admit, cuter than a boar piglet at least. Nothing could surpass the ugliness of a boar babe, the grotesque little things. She thought humans might have, but it appeared not.  
  
And then the little infant did something that the mighty Goddess had expected least of all- it cried. Right there before her very eyes, the baby was crying. Though its screams were muffled by the running water of the long protected river, she had to silence it before it woke those still asleep. It would definitely anger them to see a human slip into their forest with no detection what so ever. But somehow, she decided against crushing it with her gigantic fangs. It would have been the easiest solution, but something seemed to hold her back from doing so. Instead, she reached out her huge muzzle and snuffed, pushing the water that held the baby from oxygen away. It laughed happily as the air flow pushed back its hair, though there hardly was any. It would take some time for even a Goddess as wise as her to see what humor any creature could find in that.  
  
While it was still happy, she reached farther yet for the little thing and grasped its bundle with her teeth. She wasn't quite sure what to do with it yet, but whatever she did in the end, this human would live. The possibility of simply dropping it off near a village did not please her. What if another God came in the night and ate it? Or what if no one found it at all? Nothing she thought of seemed to work in her favor. Then she got into serious thinking. Could she possibly use this to benefit her? Was it at all possible for this mere human to help them gain entrance to the human gates and kill them off more easily? No. This wolf would not stoop to false identity. She would not raise that of human blood just to infiltrate their lairs. It seemed futile.  
  
They were soon approaching her cave where her two sons would be nestled, still sleeping past the dawn. The diminutive human in her jaws did not move, unblinking at the sight of the huge wolf carrying her off to her cave. She had no idea how much trouble she might be in. However, no trouble was in store for the young human, as long as she kept silent. The wolf scaled back up the cliff sides, the den within plain sight. All there was left to do now was to keep the baby until she had an idea of what to do with it. It might help to find out its gender, though. The scent helped none, for it was damp and cold. Once they were in the confinements of the cave she would solve her own mystery.  
  
"However, child," the wolf spoke with a cold sense of curiosity, perfectly clear even though she held the infant in her jaws. "You will need a name. I care not what gender you are, only that you, like all other creatures, godly or demonic, brave or cowardly, deserve a name. And for you, I can only think of one name suitable." As they reached her cave high within the cliffs, she set down the bundle and began to unravel all of the cloth to reveal the fullness of this human, who even now remained perfectly calm, unlike its parents. And now, as her two boys slept, blocking out all sound of the world, she saw that she was in the vicinity of another woman.  
  
"I, Moro, shall name you San. And until I think of something for your existence to accomplish, I shall be your mother." This day had been no normal day. 


	2. Growing Up

Wow, someone actually came to read the second chapter! *Gasp!* Now that you're here. *Glues your hands together, ties you to a chair and tapes your eyes open.* You are doomed to read this fanfiction forever! Muahahahahahaha*cough*haha. ha. Ok, burst of insanity over. Sorry it took so long, I was being lazy. Just read the second chapter and tell me what you think.  
  
Overview: A quick progress report of how San is developing. It mostly shows the interest in leaving the den she has. I'd have written more, but once I got down to the point that is now the ending of this chapter, I decided it would be better to put that more into the next chapter instead of this one.  
  
Copy Write: I don't own any of these characters. Princess Mononoke is a film by Hayao Miyazaki (But you would probably already know that if you're reading this.). I command you to go and watch all of his beauteous works, or I shall smite you. Once again: Lupin III is the only one you can get away with for not watching. I despise that show. o.  
  
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A great yawn emerged from Moro's mouth as she blinked sleep away from her eyes. It had been years since she had taken in the human whom she had named San, and still she remained with her. Why did this wolf continue to keep a human in her presence? Surely she had been able to think up something within the course of 8 years. Well, she had. After much hard thinking, she had decided to keep San as her own child, and raise her as if she were one of the wolves themselves. She had always wanted a daughter, after all.  
  
A few months after Moro had brought home this little bundle of joy, the young pups had quickly accepted their new sister. They surpassed her in age easily, but for the sons of a Goddess, they were still quite young, too young even to be called Gods themselves. It was customary that whenever the offspring of a God chose a name for himself, he would join his parents in watching over life and all that was given for them to command. As Moro observed, however, it would be quite a while before they picked names.  
  
Knowing that San was only human, the great white wolf had picked a name for her. Humans weren't smart enough to pick their own names. Besides, Moro needed some way to let her know she was speaking to her. She was quite impressed at how quick this human had learned her name and place. After the day she had named her, in order to get this curious girl to stop what she was doing, all the Goddess needed to do was let out a quick bark and yell, "San!"  
  
Everyday, Moro would spend all her time in the cave unless she needed to get food or it was very important. In that case, she would leave her sons with young San to keep watch over her. The girl never asked questions and didn't mind whenever her wolf mother left the den. Somehow, Moro got the feeling that San knew what she was doing when she wasn't at the den. It must have been obvious when every time she came back home she had a dead animal in her mouth. The human must have figured somewhere within her young mind that hunting was indeed the thing the wolf Goddess was doing. It was disguised very well when it wasn't.  
  
After five years, Moro found it safe enough to leave San in the den while she took her two boys out to hunt and train them for when the war against the humans finally did happen. Whenever the little girl saw her family leaving, she would immideatly rush over to Moro and bite her hind leg gently, then yell out her request with the squeakiness of a child, but the demand of a wolf. "Why can't I come, mother? I wanna learn to hunt too!"  
  
"San, you are too young to hunt. For now you must wait here until we return. You are never to leave the cave unless it is with one of us. One day I will take you hunting, but that day is not today." She would always reply with the same answer, nuzzle her giant nose against San's cheek, and then bound down the cliff side. It was true that she was too young to hunt, but Moro also wanted to keep the fact that she was keeping a human secret. The scent was easy to ware down at when she was young, and soon she always smelled of wolf. It made life very easy.  
  
San continued to surprise Moro as the days went by. One day, after hunting, the three wolves came back to the den, the two boys carrying all the meat they had caught that day. Their mother went in first, despite the weight of everything they had burdened themselves with. As she walked in, her eyes darted around, searching for her human child. She could smell her in the cave, but it would appear that she was not in any of her usual places.  
  
"San!" The wolf called out her infamous bark to let the girl know of their return, but she did not come right away. Moro almost had to call again before the young human came stumbling out of the shadows, wearing the skins of strange beasts her mother had brought for her to cloth herself with.  
  
She looked down upon her daughter with her dangerous eyes, but they were soft and caring as she questioned her calmly. "What were you doing while I was gone, San?"  
  
Although had seen worse glares from her mother before, the girl looked at the floor and scuffled her feet, trying to shy away from the look she had seen in Moro's eyes. "Well, mother. I. I made something."  
  
"You made something?" She repeated. Moro considered this statement for a moment. It was not everyday that your child made something, especially a wolfling. She tossed away her thoughts however, predicting it would be no more than a few stones on top of each other, nothing useful. "What have you made?"  
  
Happy at her curiosity, San quickly dashed back into the shadows with a gigantic smile on her face, one big enough to belong to a God itself. The wolf turned to her kin, giving them a look as if to ask if they had played apart in her sudden creativity burst. But as she studied their faces, she saw they had no idea what was going on.  
  
Moments later, little San came bursting back into the main area of the cave, brandishing a long spear. It had been made very simple; a rock that had been rubbed up against stone many times to form the figure of an arrow head, a thick vine wrapping around the stone several times, and the other half of the vine had been wrapped around a long, brown stick. The size of the stick was very long, and towered over the little girl, nearly twice her height.  
  
Moro took one look at the weapon she held and took a single step back. A low growl emanated in her throat as her eyes transfixed upon the innocent girl and the human-like weapon she held. She had seen them long ago before iron had been discovered and humans uprooted the great forests to find it. "How did you learn to make that, child? Tell me, San!"  
  
Again, she cringed and backed away slightly. "I'm sorry, mother. I saw some kind of strange beasts carrying them! I wanted to make one so I could go hunting too."  
  
San was obviously quick to achieve what she wanted. However, Moro still confound her to the cave, though some days they would return to find San sitting happily, eating some kind of dead animal that she must have gone after herself. The first concern the wolf had was if anyone had seen the human. If they had, they more than likely would have killed her.  
  
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Now she was turning 8, and there was not a day that Moro wasn't harassed by the human wolf pup. Every single day San would beg and plead that her mother let her come with them on the hunt, and every time the wolf replied, a new type of annoyance would appear on her features.  
  
However, Moro had plans for San. It was getting close to the anniversary to the day that she had found the poor child at the river, 8 years to be exact. As heartless and cruel as the giant wolf could be, she was not heartless enough to deny her young of something to commemorate their birth. The little human seemed very eager to journey outside the cave, and with all of the "unknown" hunting she had been doing she must be getting good. With enough fur to cover her, no one would even bother to check on the wolf pack.  
  
"San!" She barked out into the echoing cavern that she called home. Right away the little fur-covered girl came rushing out of the shadows, her two brothers lurking in the deep of the dark behind her, listening intently. As Moro looked down at her adopted child, she saw a huge grin plastered on her face. Curious though she was, she stuck to the point.  
  
"San, my daughter, are you aware of what today is?" The young lady beneath the Goddess's glance still continued smiling from ear to ear. She was trying to surpress her excitement, and it was easily heard to the wolf's ears when she giggled. She nodded slowly, and after a while, she finally spoke out.  
  
"Yes mother! Today is the day I was born into the family! Is it true what brother says? Am I really going to get something special?"  
  
Moro's anger increased as she watched the little fuzz-covered girl shake with excitement. She had told that boy to silence his tongue about the situation, but then he goes to his younger sister and whispers the whole thing? There would be quite a discipline in store for him tonight, after the hunt, anyway.  
  
Slowly, much slower than the response she had received from her daughter, she nodded back. "Yes, San. That is correct. Now I want you to hurry up and go get that long stick weapon you made. I am going to see how well you will do in a hunt." 


	3. The Child's Trial

Wow. . . People actually like it! I'm very happy to see that I've gotten so many reviews. I personally didn't really expect any. To answer some of your questions, yes, I will be getting into all of that fun darkness that San inherits for human nature. And don't worry about sounding mature. I'm hardly 14 and I think I'm a lot worse with it . And here is your update!  
  
Overview: San isn't an ikkle baby any more. Be vewy vewy quiet. . . She's going hunting! However, the pack meets a little more than prey on their outing. Read to find out who!  
  
Copy write: I don't own the thing. Hayao Miyazaki does. Don't watch Lupin III.  
  
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The family of wolves raced along the forest floor, silent as owls and swifter than eagles. San followed her brothers, trying hard to keep up without making any noise. After finding that her arms were not helping her run any faster (And that it was hard to carry her spear on her back), she quickly stood up and instead ran on her two human legs. Her breathing, however, was perhaps the loudest noise of them all.  
  
Moro led the small pack, smelling the fresh meat that lay ahead for them. Her two sons, running close behind her, had their tongues wavering in the wind. They too could smell what their mother had discovered. It was a small group of deer, very deeply packed together in their grazing, judging by the scent of so many being in a big clump. Deer was not commonly eaten by the Gods, never mind the Wolf Gods, for not only were the quick but also the Forest God watched over them closely. He sometimes even walked with them. It made sense, him resembling a deer so closely, but the fact that he was not merely one of them was obvious. And he was never willing to give up any deer just to give another taste to a wolf's mouth.  
  
With all of the deer so close to each other, even if the Forest God was among them, there would be no way he could protect them all. Ah, such a fine meat. The Goddess could nearly taste it now, crunching it between her powerful jaws, those savory juices filling her mouth. A satisfying meal was only a muzzle away. She came to an abrupt stop in front of a large clearing, not even leaving a skid mark. The boys, however, were not as graceful. Not knowing of their mother's sudden stop, they had had to basically sit down to stop themselves from running into her, and even still their front paws moved!  
  
San was far enough behind to actually stop correctly so that she could catch her breath. She had never run so much in her life. Moro could hear her from her position at the head of them and walked quietly back towards her, staring down her muzzle and into her eyes. "San, we are going to surprise attack this herd. When you have caught your breath, jump out and join us. Do not throw that thing though. You are not yet trained for that. Imagine what would happen if you slowed down one of us. Also, do not go into the middle of the group. Attack the sides. If you got run over by a stampede of cowardly deer, I may never eat them again."  
  
The young girl nodded, still catching her breath. It wouldn't be good to waste her breath on speaking. At the glimpse of her nod, the giant white wolf took off, leading her two kin towards the clearing where dinner was. San didn't want to be totally left out though, so she peaked around a tree to see her family in action. No sooner had she first laid eyes on the large group of deer that she heard the snapping of one's neck. Moro had pounced and killed quickly, completely severing one's head with her mighty canines. The boys were running about and biting at the legs of the hundreds of deer, trying to slow them down. It didn't work out that way, however. Several times one of them tried snipping a hind leg clean off, and all he received was a kick in the face. The other had a little more luck though, managing to fell two of them with this technique.  
  
San was over her run now, but she still was short on breath. The thrills of such an amazing battle stunned her with excitement and anxiety. There was surprisingly not a tingle of fear in her body. She wanted to join them in the slaughter. Her fingers clutched at the spear tightly, and she suddenly found herself rushing forward at the giant group.  
  
Her spear struck out against a straggling deer who could not manage to escape with the rest. It sunk deep into its flesh, catching it in the side. There was still an urge to live in it however. Bucking about, the young stag tossed the spear around, San desperately trying to hold it in, as well as keeping to the ground. Her tight grip grew even stronger, and it soon felt like the tip would break right off. The spear suddenly came loose and she fell backward, holding the still intact weapon. Moro had pounced upon the feisty prey and had begun tearing it to shreds. She wouldn't let a single meal escape her, especially not one so close to her teeth.  
  
San's well-developed ears picked up each and every crunch the wolf took as she thoroughly chewed on the deer who no longer struggled for life but lay silent in death. She dropped the blood-covered spear from her hands and ran over to the creature she had helped into the afterlife. Her head lay on its motionless body as if she was trying to find a heart beat. Moro stepped back, licking her lips, to watch in interest at what her daughter would do. It was the first time she had killed anything, at least to Moro's knowledge. For a human, that was quite a young age to kill at. But she was a wolf now. She would live by wolf laws or die by them.  
  
She lifted her head, turning her face into the soft fuzzy side of the gentle creature. The sensation was warm, and somewhat comforting. The moment was ruined as her own mouth opened wide and bit into the thing's flesh, ripping the meat away and chewing it many times before swallowing. Well, at least it was ruined for most humans anyway. Moro's look was of pure joy.  
  
At that moment, the boys came springing back into the clearing, each with a deer strung over they're back. They quickly yipped out a message to Moro, panicked and shaking. "Okkoto's coming! Okkoto's coming!"  
  
Okkoto? That swine? What could he possibly want? The giant white wolf stepped forward a bit, staring into the area where her pups had emerged. She hadn't noticed it before, but the smell of boar pretty much was surrounding the area. How had she missed that? Bloody pig and his illusions. Did he have to come now? Right after San had made her first kill? But there was no more time to think. The giant boar God had entered the clearing.  
  
His pelt shimmered in the sunlight that radiated through the trees, a slight breeze ruffling it. The giant tusks seemed to tower as high as the trees from San's height. They as well hit the sun light for an affective shine, an odd glow seeming to emanate from them. The air he snorted out from his massive nostrils was heavy, adding more to the light breeze. San had never seen anything like him. She cautiously walked up to him, curiosity quaking in every inch of her body. It was like she was a little toddler again, reaching out to examine a shiny stone or a blade of grass. She had never seen anything like this up close.  
  
The giant old boar turned his head to face her body. His nose moved back and forth as it took in her scent fully, trying to pick out something different about her. Moro knew what he was doing and thought to interfere, but restrained herself. She had brought this upon herself by bringing San out of the cave. It had to be done sometime though. Now was as good a time as any.  
  
With a final sniff, Okkoto reared back on his hind hooves, having found the tiny bit of scent that would always remain with her. The scent of a human. "Moro! How dare you bring a human into our forest? What are you trying to do? Attack us from the inside? You've joined with them, haven't you? You've joined this filthy slob! You're out to murder us all! But I won't let you get me or my brethren!"  
  
The hog charged wildly towards Moro, jumping right over the human in his path. She would have been crushed if not for her brother, grabbing her by the pelt she always wore. He pulled her over to the other brother, both of them sitting beside her and watching their mother. San didn't want to sit and let anything bad happen though. She struggled against the tight hold her brother had on her pelt, but it was no use. She could not break free of his grasp. She instead watched in horror as the boar inched closer and closer to her mother. Why was this happening? Was it because of her? Her thoughts dissipated as she watched her mother, just standing there and waiting for the boar to strike her. She felt the need to call out, but managed to restrain her words in a single gasp.  
  
What happened next San wasn't able to fully follow. Moro suddenly leapt into the air around her and Okkoto, landing firmly on his back to pounce of once again. The boar was sent crashing to the earth and the wolf left to land safely on the ground, giving Okkoto a look that could kill if he had been able to see it. "You're mistaken if you think I would ever sink to human level. There is absolutely nothing lower than that. War has driven you mad, Okkoto. And a further thing- You are positively blunt if it took you so long to realize I was raising one of the scums. She has been in my den and living off my care for 8 years now, and if you hadn't smelled her before then, you are not fit to be a God. However, this girl is training to be a wolf now. I won't let her reek with the stench of humans. So I suppose you have nothing to worry about. . ."  
  
Shaking off the crash, he got to his hooves and turned to face Moro. A sort of anger was rising in him, but he would not attack again. The way he planted his hooves in the ground assured her of that. "Bringing up a human is a stupid idea. They are too incompetent to become anything but what they are. I thought you would know that, but perhaps I overestimated you. Taking to a filthy human like that. . . You have enough stupid children to last you your immortality! And now you want more? And outside your species!?"  
  
"INSOLENT HELL INSECT!" Fire sprung to her eyes as she lunged at the boar. She showed no mercy as she swiped at his face, clawing with a vengeance. Not fast enough to block her assault, Okkoto was struck several times, his face covered with bleeding scars. A powerful battle cry escaped his throat and he charged for Moro. Head on. As fast as she was, she was not able to escape him this time, unaware that he would still blindly charge against an ally. She landed rather roughly at the base of a nearby tree, limp and on her back. The boar shook his face, trying to clear away as much blood from his eyes as possible.  
  
"Let that be a lesson to you Moro, Leader of the Wolf Pack. I would kill the girl too, if not for the fact that I'd endangering your pups when their mother died in a blind battle when she was wounded. . . The next time I see this girl, if she is not as much a wolf as your kin by blood, I will kill her."  
  
"I'd like to see you try. . ."  
  
That was the last of words exchanged between them as Okkoto walked off. Stretching her paws, Moro got back on her feet. She did a quick check to make sure nothing had been broken, and then quickly trotted over to her children. She looked down at them with the caring eyes of a mother. It wasn't something they saw too often.  
  
"He knows nothing. . . Nothing of my hate for humans! Nothing of my love for your father! Nothing of anything! He is the most ignorant of all beasts I have ever met! Joining the human side. Flea-ridden pile of dung! What does he take me for?" All three of the young ones, especially San, looked very confused. The two brothers had at least known about the war between humans (Though they did not understand what was wrong with raising one), but San knew absolutely nothing about what had just happened. The fiery eyes of Moro began to cool, and she gently nuzzled each of her three kin. "Let's go home."  
  
The three wolves began tossing the dead deer back on their backs, taking in their mouths the delicate ones that had been crushed by Okkoto. However, San stood still, staring forward, trying to process what had happened. Moro figured better than to disturb the child's mind and continued picking up pieces of meat, swallowing most of it to regurgitate later. As she finished up this deed, little San ran over to her, carrying her spear and the head of the first kill she had ever made. Gently poking her with the butt of the spear pole, she asked a simple question to her mother.  
  
"Mama, what's a human?" 


	4. Cries in the Daylight

I'm finally writing! *Lights fireworks.* The muse is still missing. Anyone who has seen the fellow, please call 1-800-666-LOSTMAHMUSE. Kame, I would greatly appreciate it if you could tell me where the muse you've found is at. I tried e-mailing you but my e-mail was being bad. I'll be punishing it later. . . *Ahem* So here is my half-baked chapter. Uh. . . Enjoy the crustiness? o.O  
  
Overview: San's a teen, she's trying to fit in with the other gods, and she ain't having much luck 'cuz she isn't one of them. Still doesn't understand the whole "being human" thing. And meanwhile all the gods are talking about the perfect way to kill a human. Yep. . . I miss my muse! ;_;  
  
Copywrite: Hayao Miyazaki is a master. Better than me. Bet you're relieved. Go see! NO LUPIN FOR YOU! BAD! YOUR BRAIN WILL DISOLVE!  
  
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"And why aren't I allowed to come?" she cried out angrily.  
  
"San, my daughter, I'm sorry. You know how those pigs are. They're still quite prejudice against you. I don't think they'll ever realize how stupid they really are. Filthy animals." The white wolf paced towards the exit of her den, leaving her tail to face the human girl that always resided within the cave, most of the time anyway. "Stay here for now. I promise that once we have a fight underway, you will be in it. The boar Nago is a seeing soul, well, less blind than the others."  
  
"Wait. . ." San stood looking at her mother, her eyes upset and murderous. "Why do you always call it prejudice? I'm still a wolf, aren't I? So what if I walk on two legs and don't have as much fur? I'm a wolf! A wolf!" She threw her spear to the ground and continued chanting this. It would do her no good, other than self reassurance.  
  
Moro was getting quite annoyed now. She always had to ask about her humanity, didn't she? And yet, the wolf had never told San about it, figuring it was none of her business if she was going to hate her own kind. "Listen to me, just stay here while your brothers and I are out. I'll-"  
  
But San wouldn't hear it. She was sick and tired of being treated different because of her strange qualities. "Why should you get to go and leave me alone in here? I'm as good a fighter as those two, if not better! They shouldn't get to go if I can't! It's not fair! It's not-"  
  
"The reason you can't come is because this is an important matter concerning humans! You have no idea they are and therefore could never give us proper insight on them! So stay here and watch your tongue from now on!" Moro had sprung around and lunged towards her daughter. The pure ferocity of her annoyance prickled on the back of her neck. Even her white daggers shined visible within her mouth. San found herself very afraid. This was a new phase for her. . .  
  
Turning around, she quickly trembled off to a dark corner of the cave. Normally she ventured there to think about things. But now it was her safe place, far away from her mother as she could be. She was truly afraid now, and Moro had no shame for what she had done. It was about time she reached around and nipped the pain on her back. Why had she spoiled her so much?  
  
The white wolf slinked out of her shelter, not saying a word as the girl shivered in her corner. San did not watch Moro leave. Instead, she stared hard at the wall, trying to regain her stature. She sniveled slightly, her focus on the wall intensifying. Her mind also began to sharpen, thinking deeply about what had just happened. Not caring whether she was truly alone or not, she began to speak aloud.  
  
"Humans. . . What is so important about humans that I get punished? Why can't I learn about them? They're destroying our home, aren't they? Don't I live here too!? Why? Why am I being excluded!?" She dropped to her knees, looking down at the ground. She was startled to find tiny droplets of water there. It took her a moment to realize that she was crying.  
  
More droplets poured down her face, making puddles on the cave ground. Both fists came pounding into the ground simultaneously, and more tears jerked out of her eyes. "So what if those disgusting boars can't stand something different from them? Something's wrong with me! I know it! Mother wouldn't have made me stay here if there wasn't something wrong with me! What have I done? Tell me!" Her echos rang out of the cave, sending birds flying from their nests. Sadly, the darkness did not answer her call.  
  
A nagging pain suddenly startled her throat and she coughed into her fist, sobbing slightly. She wiped the tears from her eyes, though they still continued to cloud them. San stood up, brushing herself of the dust and debris she had collected on her clothing and walked over to her prized spear. She grasped it in one hand, resting the butt of it on the cold stone. Her grasp tightened around it for a moment as she thought of what to do now that she was all alone and had a mother who was mad at her to say the least.  
  
Venturing over to the exit, she peered over the cliff side. There was no sign that her family had been here other than their scent. Her eyes intensified once more, but this time it was not them doing the work. It was her nose, smelling the path they had gone. She heaved herself over the cliff side.  
  
San landed on three "paws", the other one holding her spear as she reached a stone landing. From there she jumped to another rock, then to another, landing very much the same way each time. The only landing that was different was her final one, which she jumped and landed on her two feet. Now the scents were much stronger. Down here she could focus better and eventually even chase after them to the direct meeting place. It wouldn't take too long. . .  
  
One sniff. . . Two sniff. . . Three sniffs. . . Got it! It surely had to be the path! The scent was so fresh that a human could have followed it. It was no more than 15 minutes ago, give or take three. Her feet set off to work, dashing along the forest trees after her family. She was not nearly as agile as her brothers (And no where near matching her mother in speed), but she would catch up to them soon enough. This would be a walk in the park.  
  
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The two wolflings were the only ones seated. All manners of boar tustled about with each other, clanking tusks and arguing. The kin were taking much after their parents, fighting with each other over rash things. Moro was even in heated argument, clashing tusks with Okkoto over how to handle humans. Her kin just looked lazily at everything, keeping out of it all. It was a surefire thing that they didn't want to dirty their paws in such affairs.  
  
"You wretched animal! Harvest them? Why would we want to let them stay? Torture is only good when what you are torturing deserves torture! These lowly worms aren't worthy of the torture I'd have install for them! If they cannot live peacefully with us then they should simply die!"  
  
"Silence, you flea-ridden mongrel! Your words mean nothing! One day you too will be ruled fully by the God Okkoto!"  
  
Moro sneered at the boar, her tail swishing against the ground. It brought dirt to his eyes, making him squeal in anguish. "Some God. You can't even stand a slight bit of pain! How do you think we'd survive under your rule?"  
  
All bickering stopped suddenly. One call resounded through out the forest, shaking leaves from the trees. A giant boar with a coat as rough and brown as tree bark stomped into the area, looming over even the great Okkoto. His tusks shined radiantly in the high noon sun, though trees blocked it from direct and full sight. They always seemed to do this, even on clouded days. It was rumored to be his inner pride shining through.  
  
The mighty hog shoved the smaller boar aside, making his way to the center of the clearing. He had been looking forward to this meeting for awhile. At last, plans for those horrible humans would be made! Nothing could convey his lust for their blood. This was quite obvious as he shoveled even the youngest of the boar kin out of his way. His hooves abruptly stopped when they reached the wolf Moro. He looked her over slowly, for he hadn't seen her in at least two decades. This was going to be an interesting reunion.  
  
"Moro, Goddess of the Wolf Kin. It has been a while." The boar nodded his head down to her, looking up his narrow nose in the direction of the wolf.  
  
"Indeed, Nago." She could not say much else. There was a certain respect she held for this boar, as much as she hated all of their species. She wasn't racist- no, of course not. All boars were equally stupid. Save Nago. He was a tad higher in intelligence, but he was the only one.  
  
He turned his face to look at her sons, eyeing them curiously. One sat with his tongue out of his mouth, quite excited to finally see this powerful boar. The other looked at the ground uninterestedly. His eyes were foggy and his paw batted a stone back and forth. Nago walked over to them, speaking to them both though he watched the stone the one brother had. "So you are the sons of Moro? Ye'll both make fine gods someday, I'm sure."  
  
His head turned up from the wolves to face the hogs that surrounded the entire clearing. "They will also be the first generation of wolves to tell their children about the great fight against the humans, as will you kin be the first boars!"  
  
A chorus of squeals was let up, filling the forest air entirely. All bird song was blocked out as this new music of victory and hope engulfed the lush green trees. Howls joined in to the squealing and whining of the boars, adding an even richer musical influence. The only one not joining in this opera was Nago, who could have sworn he had heard a forth howl. 


	5. I'm Only Human

I just realized that I don't remember if there was a certain time that Eboshi shot Nago. So, now I'm not sure if this would have really happened. In fact, it's possible San wasn't even alive in the time of Nago! So we're going to pretend he was around at the same time that San was adopted into the wolves for the purpose of this story. I need to get the movie one day. . .  
  
Overview: San's spying on them. Would have put this into the other chapter but I didn't want to.  
  
Copyright: Don't own anything. It sucks. Lupin will burn.  
  
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The wild cheer lit up the forest. San believed that if she had been back at the cave she still would have heard it. But she was glad that she had left. Finally, she would get to see what these humans were like! Luckily she had run up during the great squeals so it was easy to conceal herself without worrying about making much noise.  
  
However, as she laid down in a leafy bush, she watched as her two brothers turned their heads upwards and join in the howl. She was a bit in awe as to how it sounded with the tune of wolves. She looked at her mother, who was staring at a boar larger than the rest. She was amazed to see there was a boar larger than Okkoto! Her eyes were searching for something. . . She could feel it. Very slowly, Moro turned her head up and let out a long, sad call.  
  
Excitement rushed through her as her mother joined in. It was a complete symphony, playing the finest music she had ever heard. She was in its captivity and couldn't find a way to escape it. Not that she wanted to. Who knew that boars could create such a harmony by simply squealing their happiness? She wanted to help make this masterpiece though. Listening didn't work any more. Lifting her own head, she released the call of the wolves from her throat and let it echo around the forest. Had she been looking down, she might have seen that huge boar look back to where she was hiding.  
  
Nago turned his attention then to the hundreds of swine surrounding the clearing. He grunted deeply and waved his head. The squealings stopped abruptly as did Moro. The two brothers continued until Okkoto gave them a nasty glance. Upon seeing this, their howls died quickly. San however did not see the head movements, for her eyes had closed to incline herself further with the songs melody. She had heard the pigs stop and opened her eyes to find her brothers continuing on. She stopped a second after they had.  
  
Every hog looked confounded. It was eerie almost. Another wolf? They could only smell the scent of Moro's family, and they all knew that it only consisted of three members. Okkoto however was suspicious, and Moro was furious looking. She could clearly smell the difference between her children, and San's scent had spread quickly to her nostrils. Nago saw the disturbance among the boars and knew if he didn't do something quick that they would ruin the whole point of this meeting. It was always that way with the hogs. "Everyone! Calm down! You have no need to get riled up! That last note was only the severe pureness of a wolf's howl. It has the ability to echo on the wind like that, if you haven't heard. . . I assure you, there is no other wolf here, or I would have smelled them by now!"  
  
Considering this for a moment, the hogs couldn't help but agree. They calmed themselves for the time being and all eyes went back to the giant boar in the center of them all. Moro wasn't paying attention anymore to Nago though. Her eyes roamed about angrily for her disobedient child. Apparently, she had hidden herself well. Regardless, the meeting continued.  
  
"As you all know, the trees have long been cut down by mankind, and resources taken without permission from their superiors. With it, they have created weapons to destroy us. We won't let them!" San all the while hid unseen in her bush, listening to the boar's speech. Why couldn't she help them with that? The humans did sound bad, but nothing that she couldn't exploit herself too! The hog continued on with his preaching. "We will strike Iron Town and its leader, Lady Eboshi, five moons from now. All gods will rush at them from all sides and crush them! Do you agree to this, Moro of the wolf pack?"  
  
But Moro had pinpointed San's location. Her furiousness was clear in her eyes had anyone bothered to look. Growling, she launched forward at the poor unsuspecting child. "You worthless good for nothing human!"  
  
San was quickly pushed to the ground, her blood coursing through her just as it had before when she had told her off. But now she would not be taken off guard. Instead, having a grasp on her spear, she jabbed it upwards straight into Moro's stomach. Moro had not been expecting this. Growling madly and in pain, she lifted herself off of her daughter and the spear. It wasn't anything serious- to a Goddess, a spear wound was as painful as a kick. But a kick to the stomach could wind someone, and this was exactly how she felt.  
  
Okkoto ran past Nago over to the girl lying on her back, shocked at the realization of what she had just done. "I knew you were all alike! All troublesome! You'd even stab the one who raised you! Selfish!"  
  
This time it was Nago who protected her. Using his powerful tusks, he knocked the other massive boar clear over Moro and into a pile of brush and debris. He snorted as he turned back to the boars who, once again, were in a panic. "Silence!" Amazingly, they all did as he ordered with no protests. He then slanted his head over to wear San lay. She was trembling visibly. He moved over slowly to the frail human. Moro lifted her head to see Nago approaching. She lifted herself from that lowly position on the ground, taking three deep breaths when she was up.  
  
"Moro. . ." The boar began, looking equally mad, "You know this human, don't you? She smells of your essence. Let's have an explanation."  
  
The white wolf's eyes had less intensified. She looked to her two sons, both very afraid looking. They didn't care that San was born a human. All that mattered was that she was their sister. If either of them could talk they would have said this in a heart beat. She was only ashamed that she was not able to feel the same even now. "She is my daughter."  
  
Worried squeals were let up among the swine, suddenly disturbed by a Goddess had taken in a human. They had been sure she was against them! But now it appeared not. Nago did not even bother to shush them this time. Instead he turned to Okkoto, who had somehow managed to lift himself up. "Lord Nago, she has been keeping this a secret from us for years. For some reason she believes this child can be a wolf! Of all the-"  
  
"Apparently you have been keeping this a secret as well, Okkoto." The smaller boar held his tongue and moved backward. His was not about to click tusks with Nago. San looked over to the frightened hog, then to her mother, who did not turn to look at her at all. Human? Why did they keep using the word human to describe her? She was as much a wolf as her brothers. Maybe even as much as her mother. She was clearly no weakling human. Perhaps it was the ultimate swear? Yes, it had to be. Even her mother had called her human and all of her life, she had known herself to be a wolf.  
  
San was the final one to push herself off the ground, bringing her spear up with her. All chatter died as she slowly approached Nago, not a sweat of fear on her. A deep warning came from his throat, but she did not stop walking forward. Only until she was inches away from him did she slam the butt of her spear into the ground. He stared down his long nose at her, waiting for her to speak. For a while though, all was silent and the only glared at each other. "Well girl? State your piece. . ."  
  
"Why do you all keep calling me a human?" she demanded. "Look at me! I am no human! I know it's obvious how much you all hate them, but it's also obvious that I'm not one! These humans have made my life miserable, but until today I didn't realize it! They've kept me from going out of the cave alone all this time, and I don't even know why! And if these humans are trying to destroy my home, I hate them even more for that! So why do you think I am one!?"  
  
Nothing was uttered, not a squeal or a hoof clonk was heard. Okkoto looked amazed by her lecture. Even Moro was impressed. Judgement itself, Nago stood there frozen to the spot. Finally, he broke the silence. "I never said you were one, and I can see you aren't." 


End file.
